More things I wish people would not say

So, you think I am being OCD about too many adverbs?  (See Seven sayings...)  You don't know the half.  The other day over at Worldmag Blog, some guy was complaining about the use of the noun “Democrat” being used as an adjective when mentioning the political party, as in “Democrat party”.  Several others went back and forth with the guy about how it is not a recent usage, and the Republicans have used it for decades. No, I am not going to defend that usage, as I agree with the guy.  But how many of us misuse adjectives and nouns and never even think about it?  And other misuses of cliches and parts of speech? 


Forthwith are a few more things I wish people would stop saying.  Mostly these are grammatical miscues.

• “I’m good” as a response “How are you?”  “Good” is an adjective that describes your character.  The question asks how you are feeling at the moment, not what kind of person you are.  The grammatical answer is “I’m well” or “Fine.”
• “Wall Street to Main Street”  This, along with a few variations, seem to be the latest political mantra.  I guess it is supposed to show the common people that the politician is one of them, and not some Washington bureaucrat or Wall Street fat cat.  Sorry, politicians, but when I hear that line, I want to jump into the TV and scream at you: “Enough with the clichés!”  I personally want Wall Street to do well, as my pension and IRA depend on a strong stock market.  And aren’t we a capitalistic economy?  If Wall Street fails, don’t the rest of us suffer?  Now I realize that the hatred is directed at the company managers who get huge bonuses whether the company does well or not.  Okay, go after the individual offenders, not the whole system! Besides, around here it is the big box stores hurting Main Street, not the stock market.
• “I could care less.”  So, care less if you are able.  The saying is “I couldn’t (notice the negative) care less,” indicating that the speaker has zero interest in the subject at hand.  To say one could care less, means that person has at least some interest.
• Using the past tense verb form instead of the past participle and vice-versa.  Here in the Midwest, people are prone to confuse verb forms.  They say, “I seen you at the store.”  Or else “I’ve went to St. Louis often.”  I used to correct it whenever I heard it (as Mrs. L. can testify), but now I repeat it to them correctly in a question: “You saw me at the store? Why didn’t you say ‘Hello’?”  “How often have you gone to St. Louis? Once a month or more?”  Like directly correct them, this approach doesn’t get them speaking the Queens English, but it makes me feel better. One of the worst offenders is someone I work with, i.e. another teacher!  He used to mock President Bush for his mispronunciation, yet he constantly mispronounces common words, like “supposably” in place of supposedly.

I guess that is enough conversational peeves I have.  Any others you care to share with the few, the proud, the brave readers of this blog?

Seven sayings...

Okay, I admit.  When I was young and immature I was a fan of George Carlin.  He was funny, but now I wonder why young people (and even older ones) find gutter humor funny.  (Don't get me wrong, Carlin was a genius, and had a few great skits, just too much crudeness for my older, wiser, Christian self.)  One his most famous skits was called “The Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV”, in which he proceeds to use the foulest language imaginable.  Sadly, many of those things are now used in conversation as if they were never thought of as bad words!  But I digress...

I thought I would herewith propose seven things I wish we would stop using in writing and speaking.  These are not bad, just overused.

1. Adding Adverbs to Adverbs-- Admittedly, adverbs are necessary, but repeating them or using more than one is aggravating.  I cringe when watching the news and a reporter says “very, very”.  I realize this happens during “off the cuff” moments, and not in scripted reporting.  But why not use that brain that got them through journalism school and come up with another adverb like “extremely”? Why don’t these paragons of intelligence (written tongue in cheek) open a thesaurus in their free time?
2. Arguably-- Speaking of adverbs, this one has got to go.  It’s become the buzzword of bloggers.  Whatever happened to the good old stand by words like “definitely” or “in fact”?
3. Simply-- I know, I am picking on adverbs here. But this word is so overused in advertising.  “Simply call 1-800...” is a line that makes me laugh.  Calling toll free numbers now-a-days is not a simple task, unless you know how to get around the voice prompts.  (I have found that pressing 0 three times usually gets you directly to the customer service line, and you get to talk to a real person!)  How many times have I had to enter a ten-digit account number , only to have to repeat it to the representative who finally gets my call?   Sometimes this word “simply” is added to instructions that are so convoluted that it takes an engineer to figure it out.
4. “Deja vu all over again.” Yes, Yogi Berra was a funny guy, and had many of these cute sayings. But it is getting tiresome to have every sports announcer on the planet saying this at least once in every broadcast.
5. God’s name in swearing-- This was not one of Carlin’s seven, but I remember when I worked in radio, we had to bleep it out if we heard it.  Live call in shows have to have a six-second delay in order to give the deejay time to push the bleep button.  I wish I could do so for written work before I have to read it.  It is terrible that in print “g--d---” is allowed, but the Anglo-Saxon versions of excrement or sexual intercourse are not.  No, I do not advocate allowing them, just blanking out God’s name when used in a profane manner.
6. Profanity-- Not only God’s name, but the f-bomb and other “vulgarities” have entered into the mainstream conversation.  I remember when “those words” were not said around women and children, but now it is the women and children using them!  Granted, such words are not evil in and of themselves, but in the 1000 or so years since the Normans conquered the Angles and Saxons, the words used by the latter have been frowned upon.  Yes, even children used those words in the dark ages before William the Conqueror and his hordes invaded and won the Battle of Hastings.   And since the Frenchification of the nobility in England, we do not use them in polite conversation.  I guess America is rebelling still against the British nobility by using language the nobles would not use.
7. Obama-- I had to find a seventh word to keep up with Carlin, so here it is.  I await 20 January 2013, the day when he is no  longer president.

O, friends, let us simply procure to be very, very careful in our speach, which is arguably one of the hardest things to do.

For unto us a child is born...

And her name shall be called Sarah Abigail.  (What? You were expecting a Christmas post?) 

Our first grandchild entered the world Wednesday night (Dec 23) at 23:10CST.  She is a 7#4oz, 20" bundle with lots of curly hair, like her mother had.  Mother and child are doing well. 

And here she is:

Why celebrate Christmas?

Got this in an email.  While I am not much for promoting "Christmas", I promote Christ crucified whenever I can.

Twelve Reasons for Christmas

1. "For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth." (John 18:37)

2. "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8; cf. Hebrews 2:14-15)

3. "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17)

4. "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10)

5. "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

6. "God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." (Galatians 4:5)

7. "For God so loved the world that whoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:16).

8. "God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." (1 John 4:9; cf. John 10:10).

9. "The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15).

10. "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against . . . that the thoughts of many may be revealed" (Luke 2:34f).

11. "He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." (Luke 4:18)

12. "Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy." (Romans 15:7-8; cf. John 12:27f).  [Taste and See, 2002, John Piper]

HT: Mark LaCour

Talking about the weather

When I Grumble about the Weather

"The Lord has heard all your grumblings against Him!" Exodus 16:8

Does God really hear every discontented word I ever speak? Does He hear when I grumble about the hard winter, about the late spring, about the dry summer, about the wet harvest?

Does He hear when I grumble about the frosts, about the drought, about the high winds, about the storms?

Does He hear when I grumble about my circumstances, about the hardness of my situation, about my losses and disappointments?

If we could get into our heart, and keep there continually, the consciousness that God hears every word we speak, would we murmur and complain as much as we do?

We are generally careful to not speak words which would give pain to the hearts of those we love. Are we as careful not to say anything that will grieve our Heavenly Father?

"I tell you this--that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak." Matthew 12:36

"He who complains of the weather is complaining of the God who ordains the weather!" -- William Law

-- J. R. Miller

 

HT- Mack Tomlinson

All I want for Christmas...

...is a 12 bedroom, 12 bath house on a hill overlooking the Caribean Sea in Puerto Rico.  And in the three car garage, a convertable, a mid-sized motorcycle and an extended cab pickup truck.



Seriously, with all the greed associated with the modern celebration, I do not think I want anything this year.  Every year I am asked (especially by the relative that draws my name) what I want.  Every year I cannot think of anything.  So I get some article of clothing or a CD I listen to three or four times.  So this year, I am asking for donations to one of the ministries or charities listed below.  So, if you are the relative who got my name this year, take your pick.  Make it anonymous- you don't even have to give in my name.


Heart Cry Missionary Society.  This organization finds native missionaries and supports them.  From the website:

Our greatest concern is that His Name be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun (Malachi 1:11), and that the Lamb who was slain might receive the full reward for His sufferings (Revelation 7:9-10). 

The Wounded Warrior Project, which desires “...to provide tangible support for the severely wounded and help them on the road to healing, both physically and mentally.”  They provide things like counseling services for servicemen wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other things like backpacks with toiletries, etc, for their hospital stay.

The Salvation Army.   I know it is more of a social than spiritual ministry in modern times, but this organizatoin does more to help the poor than anything Washington does.


Your local food bank.  The economy has caused so many to loose their jobs that many former donors are current users.


There are several other worthy causes out there.  This year, instead of piling up more useless stuff, why don't we all give to those more needy than we are?

Morning glory to God

 

(Photo from flikr )

Last week as I was driving to work, the sunrise was beautiful.  I wish I had a camera, or that I was not in a hurry to meet my carpool.  What really made it even more wonderful, was that I had just put the first hymns CD by The 2nd Chapter of Acts, and the first one, “All Creatures Of Our God And King” came on, right as the sun popped over the horizon.  I was moved by the moment, especially the line: “Thou rising morn in praise rejoice” seemed to be written exactly for a time as this.  I wonder if the hymn writer saw a beautiful sunrise and wrote that line.  The photo does not quite capture it.  It was one of those days when the sky was cloudy except the horizon, so the sun reflected beautiful red and orange light over everything.

Diversity

I heard on the news the other day that the Illinois governor appointed someone to make sure that there is diversity in state government contracts. Tonight I heard that the Naval Academy had to change who was on the color guard at the World Series so there would be a group representing the diversity of the academy. Every week or so we hear about diversity in the US, or discrimination against this group or that group.

Ah, diversity! That wonderful idea that every race, gender and orientation must be represented in order for something to feel right. Do we really need something like the Illinois Diversity Council, which “...is committed to fostering a learning environment for organizations to grow in their knowledge of diversity”? A council which values leadership “that values diversity and inclusion and stimulates the potential of each individuals to contribute and achieve their goals (sic)” (but not necessarily good spelling and grammar)? Really?

What happened to colorblindness? What would Martin Luther King, Jr., the patron saint of the diversity movement, say about such things? He said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” His now grown up children are still waiting.

And so am I. When I get in my car and drive across the Mississippi River, I do not care who owned the construction company who made the bridge. I don’t concern myself that the owner be white, black, male or female. I just want the bridge to be built by the best possible work crew. Now, in Illinois and other places, watch out. The state may have hired a company because the owner was a minority female, since there were already contracts given to the white, male owned companies. So the bridge you are about to cross may have been built by a company with almost no experience in building quality bridges. It just happened to be owned by the politically correct person. I hope your car and life insurance are current!

Driver’s education

Youngest daughter turned 15 last month. She now has a learner’s permit to drive. Of course, that means dad is a driver’s ed teacher for the next 12 months. So far, no accidents. Just some frayed nerves. Like when she was taking a turn on a gravel road with the rear tires spinning and the nose headed for the ditch. Or when she made a left turn onto a highway and we both forgot to look the second time. There was suddenly a car in the rear-view mirror with one unhappy looking driver.

Thank the Lord for traveling mercies.

Kudos and "Whatever"

First, I want to publicly (at least as publicly as this blog is) express  “kudos” to the junior senator from Missouri, Claire McCaskill (Dem).  Most of the time I do not agree with her.  But she, along with several other senators “called for greater transparency as the health insurance reform debate moves to the Senate floor.”   Basically, they want “legislative text and complete budget scores from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to be posted on a public website at least 72 hours prior to the first vote...”  Sounds like a great idea for any legislation.


Now for something light.  The other day, the AP (Associated Press) reported that “Whatever”, especially when pronounced “WHAT-ehv-errr”, is the most annoying slang in American conversation.  About twice as annoying as “you know”.

It got me to thinking about other annoying speech habits we have.  One I have heard a lot recently that drives me batty is “long story short”.  It is a shortrened version of  “to make a long story short”, which usually is said after the speaker has rambled on and on, telling too much minutiae of the story already.